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Ombre. Racconti ispirati ai dipinti di Edward Hopper
Il diner più famoso d'America, con la sua vetrata piena di luce contro il buio della notte. Una sigaretta fumata di fronte a una finestra aperta, lasciando che il sole penetri nelle ossa.
Una coppia separata da una noia invincibile. Un cinema mezzo vuoto dove una donna aspetta l'uomo che ama. Edward Hopper immortalava frammenti di vita invitando chi guarda a immaginare il resto. Gli autori di questa antologia hanno dato loro respiro e ne è uscita una raccolta di testi - noir ma non solo - pieni di grazia e realismo, in cui a prendere corpo sono i personaggi dei dipinti. In tutti, come nei quadri che li ispirano, la scena americana svela il suo volto magico e oscuro, la sua struggente verità.
Una coppia separata da una noia invincibile. Un cinema mezzo vuoto dove una donna aspetta l'uomo che ama. Edward Hopper immortalava frammenti di vita invitando chi guarda a immaginare il resto. Gli autori di questa antologia hanno dato loro respiro e ne è uscita una raccolta di testi - noir ma non solo - pieni di grazia e realismo, in cui a prendere corpo sono i personaggi dei dipinti. In tutti, come nei quadri che li ispirano, la scena americana svela il suo volto magico e oscuro, la sua struggente verità.
304 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2016
261 people are currently reading
3662 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Block
761 books2,997 followersLawrence Block has been writing crime, mystery, and suspense fiction for more than half a century. He has published in excess (oh, wretched excess!) of 100 books, and no end of short stories.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., LB attended Antioch College, but left before completing his studies; school authorities advised him that they felt he’d be happier elsewhere, and he thought this was remarkably perceptive of them.
His earliest work, published pseudonymously in the late 1950s, was mostly in the field of midcentury erotica, an apprenticeship he shared with Donald E. Westlake and Robert Silverberg. The first time Lawrence Block’s name appeared in print was when his short story “You Can’t Lose” was published in the February 1958 issue of Manhunt. The first book published under his own name was Mona (1961); it was reissued several times over the years, once as Sweet Slow Death. In 2005 it became the first offering from Hard Case Crime, and bore for the first time LB’s original title, Grifter’s Game.
LB is best known for his series characters, including cop-turned-private investigator Matthew Scudder, gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr, globe-trotting insomniac Evan Tanner, and introspective assassin Keller.
Because one name is never enough, LB has also published under pseudonyms including Jill Emerson, John Warren Wells, Lesley Evans, and Anne Campbell Clarke.
LB’s magazine appearances include American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Linn’s Stamp News, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times. His monthly instructional column ran in Writer’s Digest for 14 years, and led to a string of books for writers, including the classics Telling Lies for Fun & Profit and The Liar’s Bible. He has also written episodic television (Tilt!) and the Wong Kar-wai film, My Blueberry Nights.
Several of LB’s books have been filmed. The latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, stars Liam Neeson as Matthew Scudder and is scheduled for release in September, 2014.
LB is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, and the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and the Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). He’s also been honored with the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award from Mystery Ink magazine and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and Taiwan. As if that were not enough, he was also presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana. (But as soon as he left, they changed the locks.)
LB and his wife Lynne are enthusiastic New Yorkers and relentless world travelers; the two are members of the Travelers Century Club, and have visited around 160 countries.
He is a modest and humble fellow, although you would never guess as much from this biographical note.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
February 7, 2017
Don’t you hate it when you’re hoping for great and get merely pretty good instead?
I was really excited about this going in. Lawrence Block edited a collection of short stories in which each one was based on an Edward Hopper painting, and the writers include some of my favorites like Stephen King, Megan Abbott, and Joe Lansdale as well as many other publishing heavyweights. What’s not to like?
Sadly, this is one where the concept was better than the execution. Block’s introduction certainly got my hopes up, and I completely agreed with his idea that each Hopper painting seems to invite the viewer to create a story for it. The results ranged from straight crime and spy tales to more character based Lit-A-Chur. There’s nothing I actively disliked or found terrible in any of them, but none of the stories really blew my hair back. In fact, it sometimes seemed like the writers were really trying too hard to be clever to fit the premise.
It’s no great shock that the best story Block’s since the whole thing was his idea, and what he came up with seems the most effortless that still feels like a Block story even as it fits his painting perfectly. (And I’ll make a special note to any King fans out there that if you’re getting this just for his story you’re gonna be disappointed because while his is OK it’s also very short.)
It’s not a bad collection, and it’s certainly an interesting theme. As much as I wanted to love this I kept finding other things to do rather than pick it up, and it took me a couple of weeks to finally get through even though it’s less than 300 pages so it never really hooked me completely.
I was really excited about this going in. Lawrence Block edited a collection of short stories in which each one was based on an Edward Hopper painting, and the writers include some of my favorites like Stephen King, Megan Abbott, and Joe Lansdale as well as many other publishing heavyweights. What’s not to like?
Sadly, this is one where the concept was better than the execution. Block’s introduction certainly got my hopes up, and I completely agreed with his idea that each Hopper painting seems to invite the viewer to create a story for it. The results ranged from straight crime and spy tales to more character based Lit-A-Chur. There’s nothing I actively disliked or found terrible in any of them, but none of the stories really blew my hair back. In fact, it sometimes seemed like the writers were really trying too hard to be clever to fit the premise.
It’s no great shock that the best story Block’s since the whole thing was his idea, and what he came up with seems the most effortless that still feels like a Block story even as it fits his painting perfectly. (And I’ll make a special note to any King fans out there that if you’re getting this just for his story you’re gonna be disappointed because while his is OK it’s also very short.)
It’s not a bad collection, and it’s certainly an interesting theme. As much as I wanted to love this I kept finding other things to do rather than pick it up, and it took me a couple of weeks to finally get through even though it’s less than 300 pages so it never really hooked me completely.
February 14, 2021
5★ Superb!
Oh, how intriguing! If you’ve ever seen any Edward Hopper paintings, you’ll understand how evocative they are – of time, place, situation – a peek at somebody’s private moment where you’re longing to eavesdrop. It's impossible not to wonder about them. Block puts it this way:
“Hopper was neither an illustrator nor a narrative painter. His paintings don’t tell stories. What they do is suggest—powerfully, irresistibly—that there are stories within them, waiting to be told. He shows us a moment in time, arrayed on a canvas; there’s clearly a past and a future, but it’s our task to find it for ourselves. Our contributors have done just that, and I’m gobsmacked by what they’ve provided.”
I, too, am gobsmacked. I saved these as a treat – or a retreat, depending how you look at it – from other books I was reading at the same time. Political stuff, mysteries, whatever. These are fun to read separately and savour.
The frontispiece has no story because the author who agreed to do it couldn’t deliver on time, so guess what? We’re supposed to supply our own story:
“And so, Gentle Reader, we’ve provided you with an eighteenth painting, and isn’t it a compelling one? Have a look at it, take it in. There’s a story in it, don’t you think? A story just waiting to be told . . . Feel free to tell it. But, um, don’t tell it to me. I’m outta here.”
Cape Cod Morning 1950 Edward Hopper
While you’re working on ideas for that one, have a look at some of what Michael Connelly did with his assignment. He’s famous for his crime fiction, particularly the Harry Bosch stories, and he’s chosen Harry for his take on “Nighthawks”.
Nighthawks 1942 Edward Hopper
For a couple of days now, Harry has been following a girl who’s been taking notes while sitting on a bench in front of this famous painting. He asks what she’s writing.
“ ‘Writing is about what happens next. Sometimes that doesn’t come so easily. So I come here and look at something like this.’
She gestured toward the painting with her free hand, then nodded. Problem solved. Bosch nodded too.
He thought he understood inspiration and how it could travel from one discipline to another, how it could be harnessed for an endeavor seeming completely different. He had always thought that studying and understanding the sound of a saxophone had made him a better detective. He wasn’t sure why or if he could ever explain it to himself or anybody else. But he knew that hearing Frank Morgan play ‘Lullaby’ somehow made him better at what he did.
Bosch nodded at the notebook in her lap.
‘Are you writing about the painting?’ he asked.
‘Actually, no,’ she said. ‘I am writing my novel. I just come here a lot in hope that something about the painting rubs off on me.’ ”
I think that sums up pretty well how these talented writers have approached Block’s challenge. Read the Goodreads blurb to see who all of them are. I'm not sure I can even pick a favourite.
Fantastic! So glad I was able to get a preview copy from NetGalley, from which I’ve quoted (so quotations may have changed). I loved it!
Oh, how intriguing! If you’ve ever seen any Edward Hopper paintings, you’ll understand how evocative they are – of time, place, situation – a peek at somebody’s private moment where you’re longing to eavesdrop. It's impossible not to wonder about them. Block puts it this way:
“Hopper was neither an illustrator nor a narrative painter. His paintings don’t tell stories. What they do is suggest—powerfully, irresistibly—that there are stories within them, waiting to be told. He shows us a moment in time, arrayed on a canvas; there’s clearly a past and a future, but it’s our task to find it for ourselves. Our contributors have done just that, and I’m gobsmacked by what they’ve provided.”
I, too, am gobsmacked. I saved these as a treat – or a retreat, depending how you look at it – from other books I was reading at the same time. Political stuff, mysteries, whatever. These are fun to read separately and savour.
The frontispiece has no story because the author who agreed to do it couldn’t deliver on time, so guess what? We’re supposed to supply our own story:
“And so, Gentle Reader, we’ve provided you with an eighteenth painting, and isn’t it a compelling one? Have a look at it, take it in. There’s a story in it, don’t you think? A story just waiting to be told . . . Feel free to tell it. But, um, don’t tell it to me. I’m outta here.”
Cape Cod Morning 1950 Edward Hopper
While you’re working on ideas for that one, have a look at some of what Michael Connelly did with his assignment. He’s famous for his crime fiction, particularly the Harry Bosch stories, and he’s chosen Harry for his take on “Nighthawks”.
Nighthawks 1942 Edward Hopper
For a couple of days now, Harry has been following a girl who’s been taking notes while sitting on a bench in front of this famous painting. He asks what she’s writing.
“ ‘Writing is about what happens next. Sometimes that doesn’t come so easily. So I come here and look at something like this.’
She gestured toward the painting with her free hand, then nodded. Problem solved. Bosch nodded too.
He thought he understood inspiration and how it could travel from one discipline to another, how it could be harnessed for an endeavor seeming completely different. He had always thought that studying and understanding the sound of a saxophone had made him a better detective. He wasn’t sure why or if he could ever explain it to himself or anybody else. But he knew that hearing Frank Morgan play ‘Lullaby’ somehow made him better at what he did.
Bosch nodded at the notebook in her lap.
‘Are you writing about the painting?’ he asked.
‘Actually, no,’ she said. ‘I am writing my novel. I just come here a lot in hope that something about the painting rubs off on me.’ ”
I think that sums up pretty well how these talented writers have approached Block’s challenge. Read the Goodreads blurb to see who all of them are. I'm not sure I can even pick a favourite.
Fantastic! So glad I was able to get a preview copy from NetGalley, from which I’ve quoted (so quotations may have changed). I loved it!
April 28, 2018
Short stories hold a power that longer works of fiction do not have the advantage of: they can pack a hard punch that'll knock your socks off in mere minutes, spilling uplifting joy, heart-wrenching pain or newly provoked thought from readers all in one fell swoop. This, of course, is because they are so much more concentrated than their longer counterparts, doing away with excess prose and condensing the narrative arc into a matter of pages rather than chapters. For this reason, some of my favorite reads—the most thought-provoking and resonating reads—of all time have been short stories, and I sought this out here, within this collection, to continue that tradition for me. However, In Sunlight or in Shadow seemed prepared to offer up nothing but the latter, with the few glimmers of entertainment here so weak and sporadic that it was like the sun never quite pushed through the blinds.
Story after story were mind-numbingly dull and unmemorable. In reading through this anthology centered around the paintings of Edward Hopper (also featured within these pages before the start of each story written around them), I often felt like I was trudging through thick mud in search of that jewel that would glimmer brightly from beneath the sludge. It took me longer to finish this than it should have—than it could have—because I didn’t really want to pick it back up. But, alas, that is the magic with short story collections, isn’t it? You always feel that just around the next corner, with the next turn of the page, the next story might be the one. The next story might be enough to carry the entire collection—and so, you read on. But I never found anything magical in this compilation.
To be fair, Stephen King and Nicholas Christopher lightly touched on a literary nerve, and had this collection been filled with stories such as those, In Sunlight or in Shadow would’ve earned itself a far stronger rating from me indeed. But nothing truly moved or inspired me here. In truth, most of these stories took themselves far too seriously, as if the author’s identity or the mere fact that they’d proffered literary prose (rather than commercial plot lines) would alone carry the read, make me love it, make me keep turning pages. Well, Block, it wasn’t enough! Not by a long shot. I found most of these stories to be tedious and stuffy at best. No doubt, some teacher will find this collection and force it upon her high school English students, because it seems to exude the literary seriousness—gravitas, shall we say—requisite to be considered great. And no doubt the students will likely feel as I did.
My life has not been changed in reading this. Neither has my mind been stretched nor my imagination tested, my joy for reading stoked or my heart rate even quickened. In fact, the only thing that changed in reading this collection was my willingness to ever pick up anything else that Lawrence Block has ever laid a finger on. Will I dare? We shall see.
This collection has managed to earn the first 1.5 star review I’ve ever given—I could barely finish it, but somehow Stephen King’s “The Music Room” and Nicholas Christopher’s “Rooms by the Sea” saved it from complete engulfment by the yawning abyss. I have nothing else to even say about this collection, except that I need a good palette cleanser to start anew on something else. *
* I received an advance-read copy of this book from the publisher, Pegasus Books, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Navi Review | Twitter | Bookstagram
Story after story were mind-numbingly dull and unmemorable. In reading through this anthology centered around the paintings of Edward Hopper (also featured within these pages before the start of each story written around them), I often felt like I was trudging through thick mud in search of that jewel that would glimmer brightly from beneath the sludge. It took me longer to finish this than it should have—than it could have—because I didn’t really want to pick it back up. But, alas, that is the magic with short story collections, isn’t it? You always feel that just around the next corner, with the next turn of the page, the next story might be the one. The next story might be enough to carry the entire collection—and so, you read on. But I never found anything magical in this compilation.
To be fair, Stephen King and Nicholas Christopher lightly touched on a literary nerve, and had this collection been filled with stories such as those, In Sunlight or in Shadow would’ve earned itself a far stronger rating from me indeed. But nothing truly moved or inspired me here. In truth, most of these stories took themselves far too seriously, as if the author’s identity or the mere fact that they’d proffered literary prose (rather than commercial plot lines) would alone carry the read, make me love it, make me keep turning pages. Well, Block, it wasn’t enough! Not by a long shot. I found most of these stories to be tedious and stuffy at best. No doubt, some teacher will find this collection and force it upon her high school English students, because it seems to exude the literary seriousness—gravitas, shall we say—requisite to be considered great. And no doubt the students will likely feel as I did.
My life has not been changed in reading this. Neither has my mind been stretched nor my imagination tested, my joy for reading stoked or my heart rate even quickened. In fact, the only thing that changed in reading this collection was my willingness to ever pick up anything else that Lawrence Block has ever laid a finger on. Will I dare? We shall see.
This collection has managed to earn the first 1.5 star review I’ve ever given—I could barely finish it, but somehow Stephen King’s “The Music Room” and Nicholas Christopher’s “Rooms by the Sea” saved it from complete engulfment by the yawning abyss. I have nothing else to even say about this collection, except that I need a good palette cleanser to start anew on something else. *
* I received an advance-read copy of this book from the publisher, Pegasus Books, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Navi Review | Twitter | Bookstagram
February 23, 2024
Edward Hopper, who’s he? That was my initial reaction on opening up this anthology. But I’d loved the idea of a collection of short stories written by established writers, gathered together by one of my favourite scribes, Lawrence Block. I was soon to find out that Hopper’s paintings have quality that would draw me in. They are voyeuristic views of a lone person in a room or maybe a small disjointed group sitting in a diner or just a view of rooftops from a window. They’re simple but suggestive of something; there’s an unspoken narrative there and if you look closely at them you see, in the faces of his people, loneliness or regret or resignation. They imply a tale not told.
Well, here the tale is told, or at least a tale is told. Each writer chose a picture and wrote a piece inspired by it. The writers include such luminaries as Michael Connelly, Steven King, Jeffery Deaver and, of course, LB himself. But there are some lesser known (to me, at least) names too. The styles vary but the quality in uniformly high and I loved the fact that the pictures themselves remained a point of reference, I kept flicking back to them as I read to check something or just to confirm my initial viewing.
My favourites here included a Bosch piece by Connelly, LB’s short tale and a true story of art theft told by Hopper’s biographer (I learnt a good deal about Hopper here). The paintings themselves are superb and presented in full colour. It’s a great collection and one, I think, anyone who enjoys short stories, or indeed Hopper’s work, should seek out.
My thanks to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Well, here the tale is told, or at least a tale is told. Each writer chose a picture and wrote a piece inspired by it. The writers include such luminaries as Michael Connelly, Steven King, Jeffery Deaver and, of course, LB himself. But there are some lesser known (to me, at least) names too. The styles vary but the quality in uniformly high and I loved the fact that the pictures themselves remained a point of reference, I kept flicking back to them as I read to check something or just to confirm my initial viewing.
My favourites here included a Bosch piece by Connelly, LB’s short tale and a true story of art theft told by Hopper’s biographer (I learnt a good deal about Hopper here). The paintings themselves are superb and presented in full colour. It’s a great collection and one, I think, anyone who enjoys short stories, or indeed Hopper’s work, should seek out.
My thanks to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2016
In Sunlight or in Shadow has an intriguing premise. Within you will find short stories based upon the paintings of Edward Hopper. One doesn't need to be familiar with Hopper's work to enjoy this book. Each tale is prefaced with information about the author and an image of the painting on which the story was based. These were my favorites:
SOIR BLEU (based on the painting below) by Robert Olen Butler
I'm a horror fan and this story features a creepy clown. How could I go wrong? The best part of this one was the tricky way in which it was told.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS by Craig Ferguson
Yes, you read that right-It's THE Craig Ferguson and he also writes stories in addition to his work on television. This is another case of tricky story-telling and it was superb. One of my favorite quotes in this entire book comes from this story:
"The sea was guilty and quiet like it had just eaten."
THE MUSIC ROOM by Stephen King
What is that thumping from the closet? This tale was just plain fun and even if SK's name wasn't listed, I would know this story was his. Twisted and short, this is an example of the King at his best.
OFFICE AT NIGHT by Warren Moore
Large Marge finally scores herself a job in the big city. I adored this bittersweet tale of a young woman taking on NYC.
NIGHT WINDOWS by Jonathan Santlofer
Featuring a creepy Peeping Tom, (and that's the least of this man's crimes), this is a great tale of a woman's revenge. I have a soft spot for revenge tales and this one is a doozy!
Overall this anthology features not only well known authors, but lesser known authors as well. For the most part it was the lesser knowns that shined the brightest for me. Those, and Mr. Hopper himself, who I've developed a fondness for after reading this book. I would love to view some of his artwork in person, and I'm going to try to do just that.
Highly recommended for fans of diverse short stories and for fans of Edward Hopper!
You can buy your copy here: In Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper
*Thanks to NetGalley and Pegasus Books for the free advance review copy in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
SOIR BLEU (based on the painting below) by Robert Olen Butler
I'm a horror fan and this story features a creepy clown. How could I go wrong? The best part of this one was the tricky way in which it was told.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS by Craig Ferguson
Yes, you read that right-It's THE Craig Ferguson and he also writes stories in addition to his work on television. This is another case of tricky story-telling and it was superb. One of my favorite quotes in this entire book comes from this story:
"The sea was guilty and quiet like it had just eaten."
THE MUSIC ROOM by Stephen King
What is that thumping from the closet? This tale was just plain fun and even if SK's name wasn't listed, I would know this story was his. Twisted and short, this is an example of the King at his best.
OFFICE AT NIGHT by Warren Moore
Large Marge finally scores herself a job in the big city. I adored this bittersweet tale of a young woman taking on NYC.
NIGHT WINDOWS by Jonathan Santlofer
Featuring a creepy Peeping Tom, (and that's the least of this man's crimes), this is a great tale of a woman's revenge. I have a soft spot for revenge tales and this one is a doozy!
Overall this anthology features not only well known authors, but lesser known authors as well. For the most part it was the lesser knowns that shined the brightest for me. Those, and Mr. Hopper himself, who I've developed a fondness for after reading this book. I would love to view some of his artwork in person, and I'm going to try to do just that.
Highly recommended for fans of diverse short stories and for fans of Edward Hopper!
You can buy your copy here: In Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper
*Thanks to NetGalley and Pegasus Books for the free advance review copy in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
November 3, 2016
This is a wonderfully produced book with a totally interesting concept. To quote some of the dust jacket: "In A Beautifully produced anthology as benefits such a collection of acclaimed authors, each story is illustrated with a full color reproduction of the painting that inspired it."
If one is not familure with the paintings of Edward Hopper than this is a great opportunity to become so, without shelling out some big bucks for an art book.
I have to be honest, I was not familure with all of the authors represented in this anthology. Yet with authors high on my enjoyment list, this book was a need to have. And of course I took a non linear approach to reading this book, by reading those authors I especially liked first.
All anthologies and stories are totally subjective as to if you like them or not, what is a delicacy to one could be vile to another. But I was happily surprised by the high caliber of writing here. And a number of the stories went beyond any expectations, and sometimes by authors I did not have high up there on the "list".
What you get of course are a number of flat out mysteries, there is a magical realism story, there is a ghost story, there are slices of life, a spy story, and some stories of discovery.
So in order to make this review somewhat personal, there were three stories out of the fifteen I did not care for, which is not to say they were bad stories, I just did not care for them, and I will list their authors. I didn't like the Joyce Carol Oates, though I usually tend to like her writings, I didn't care for the Megan Abbot story for totally different reasons, and the Lee Child story could hav been better.
And remember, if you don't like the story, there is always the paintings to look at, so you can't really loose.
Note: All stories are copyright 2016 and appear to be all original to this volume.
Contributors include :
vii - "Forward" - Lawrence Block
001 - "Girlie Show" - Megan Abbott
021 - "The Story Of Caroline" - Jill D. Block
039 - "Soir Blue" - Robert Olen Butler
051 - "The Truth About What Happened" - Lee Child
061 - "Rooms By The Sea" - Nicholas Christopher
079 - "Nighthawks" - Michael Connelly
091 - "The Incident Of 10 November" - Jeffery Deaver
105 - "Taking Care Of Business" - Craig Ferguson
117 - "The Music Room" - Stephen King
125 - "The Projectionist" - Joe R. Lansdale
155 - "The Preacher Collects" - Gail Levin
167 - "Office At Night" - Warren Moore
183 - "The Woman In The Window" - Joyce Carol Oates
207 - "Still Life 1931" - Kris Nelscott
233 - "Night Windows" - Jonathan Santlofer
255 - "A Woman In The Sun" - Jstin Scott
263 - " Autumn At The Automat" - Lawrence Block
277 - Permissions
If one is not familure with the paintings of Edward Hopper than this is a great opportunity to become so, without shelling out some big bucks for an art book.
I have to be honest, I was not familure with all of the authors represented in this anthology. Yet with authors high on my enjoyment list, this book was a need to have. And of course I took a non linear approach to reading this book, by reading those authors I especially liked first.
All anthologies and stories are totally subjective as to if you like them or not, what is a delicacy to one could be vile to another. But I was happily surprised by the high caliber of writing here. And a number of the stories went beyond any expectations, and sometimes by authors I did not have high up there on the "list".
What you get of course are a number of flat out mysteries, there is a magical realism story, there is a ghost story, there are slices of life, a spy story, and some stories of discovery.
So in order to make this review somewhat personal, there were three stories out of the fifteen I did not care for, which is not to say they were bad stories, I just did not care for them, and I will list their authors. I didn't like the Joyce Carol Oates, though I usually tend to like her writings, I didn't care for the Megan Abbot story for totally different reasons, and the Lee Child story could hav been better.
And remember, if you don't like the story, there is always the paintings to look at, so you can't really loose.
Note: All stories are copyright 2016 and appear to be all original to this volume.
Contributors include :
vii - "Forward" - Lawrence Block
001 - "Girlie Show" - Megan Abbott
021 - "The Story Of Caroline" - Jill D. Block
039 - "Soir Blue" - Robert Olen Butler
051 - "The Truth About What Happened" - Lee Child
061 - "Rooms By The Sea" - Nicholas Christopher
079 - "Nighthawks" - Michael Connelly
091 - "The Incident Of 10 November" - Jeffery Deaver
105 - "Taking Care Of Business" - Craig Ferguson
117 - "The Music Room" - Stephen King
125 - "The Projectionist" - Joe R. Lansdale
155 - "The Preacher Collects" - Gail Levin
167 - "Office At Night" - Warren Moore
183 - "The Woman In The Window" - Joyce Carol Oates
207 - "Still Life 1931" - Kris Nelscott
233 - "Night Windows" - Jonathan Santlofer
255 - "A Woman In The Sun" - Jstin Scott
263 - " Autumn At The Automat" - Lawrence Block
277 - Permissions
February 6, 2017
First off I really liked the idea this book is based on. To whit: a bunch of writers were given a picture painted by Edward Hopper and based a short story around it.
Now Hopper is one of my favorite American artists and has some gorgeous paintings:
The famous Nighthawks:
Room in New York City
Rooms by the Sea
Eleven A.M.
So I was pretty excited to see what sort of stories these paintings could inspire and, for the most part, was not disappointed As with every anthology there will be good stories and bad ones, and this book was no exception. There were some interesting ones.
One, The Preacher Collects, was written by Gail Levens about a Reverend of stealing and selling Hopper pictures from his neighbor (and Hopper's elderly sister's) house. Apart from being well written and an interesting story, it also may have actually happened making the story more an accusation than a flight of fancy.
Another, The Incident of 10 November, was written as an after action report by a Soviet intelligence officer.
Stephen King had a short, but sweet, one (The Music Room) about a couple trying to make ends meet during the Great Depression in an unorthodox manner.
Still Life: 1931 tackles the seeming hopelessness of one person trying to make a difference in a cruel, and unjust world.
I found it best to approach this stories not has complete stories, but slices of a larger stories. Just as a painting shows but a moment with implications of activity out of frame, these stories, for the most part, tell part of what is certainly a larger narrative. Some writers took a literal approach by having the paintings exist in the stories while others merely created the scene shown in the paintings. All in all this was a diverse and engaging set of stories revolving around one of my favorite artists.
Now Hopper is one of my favorite American artists and has some gorgeous paintings:
The famous Nighthawks:
Room in New York City
Rooms by the Sea
Eleven A.M.
So I was pretty excited to see what sort of stories these paintings could inspire and, for the most part, was not disappointed As with every anthology there will be good stories and bad ones, and this book was no exception. There were some interesting ones.
One, The Preacher Collects, was written by Gail Levens about a Reverend of stealing and selling Hopper pictures from his neighbor (and Hopper's elderly sister's) house. Apart from being well written and an interesting story, it also may have actually happened making the story more an accusation than a flight of fancy.
Another, The Incident of 10 November, was written as an after action report by a Soviet intelligence officer.
Stephen King had a short, but sweet, one (The Music Room) about a couple trying to make ends meet during the Great Depression in an unorthodox manner.
Still Life: 1931 tackles the seeming hopelessness of one person trying to make a difference in a cruel, and unjust world.
I found it best to approach this stories not has complete stories, but slices of a larger stories. Just as a painting shows but a moment with implications of activity out of frame, these stories, for the most part, tell part of what is certainly a larger narrative. Some writers took a literal approach by having the paintings exist in the stories while others merely created the scene shown in the paintings. All in all this was a diverse and engaging set of stories revolving around one of my favorite artists.
April 21, 2017
Paintings by realist American artist Edward Hopper are the inspiration for this anthology of short stories by 17 different authors. Hopper's paintings show deep contrasts of light and shadows, some near the sea and others in the city. Figures tend to be solitary or uncommunicative couples. They are quiet, introspective, and possibly troubled. While the chosen paintings don't actually tell a story, they invite the viewer (or the short story writer) to imagine what could be happening.
I enjoyed almost all the stories in this collection. The stories were in many genres--mysteries, crime, horror, literary fiction, and magical realism. The paintings showing urban solitude act as especially good inspiration for noir crime stories, some with a Hitchcockian feeling to them. The book has a winning combination--reproductions of Hopper's wonderful artwork and an entertaining group of stories.
I enjoyed almost all the stories in this collection. The stories were in many genres--mysteries, crime, horror, literary fiction, and magical realism. The paintings showing urban solitude act as especially good inspiration for noir crime stories, some with a Hitchcockian feeling to them. The book has a winning combination--reproductions of Hopper's wonderful artwork and an entertaining group of stories.
September 12, 2025
Този сборник се оказа поредното голямо разочарование...
Хубава идея, но кофти изпълнение.
Харесаха ми общо три разказа от осемнайсет, което си е доста маргинално постижение, както и да го погледнеш.
За мен си струват "Прожекционистът" от Джо Р. Лансдейл, "Инцидентът от 10 ноември" от Джефри Дивър и до някъде "Стаи край морето" от Николас Кристофър. Първата звезда е за тях.
Втората звезда е за безсмъртните картини на Едуард Хопър, прилежно добавени към всеки разказ.
Хубава идея, но кофти изпълнение.
Харесаха ми общо три разказа от осемнайсет, което си е доста маргинално постижение, както и да го погледнеш.
За мен си струват "Прожекционистът" от Джо Р. Лансдейл, "Инцидентът от 10 ноември" от Джефри Дивър и до някъде "Стаи край морето" от Николас Кристофър. Първата звезда е за тях.
Втората звезда е за безсмъртните картини на Едуард Хопър, прилежно добавени към всеки разказ.
June 28, 2017
Първо ще си направя труда да напиша съдържанието на сборника, защото не го откривам никъде по книжните сайтове, а смятам, че е важно за бъдещия читател - все пак ще се бръкне с почти двайсетак (18.99) за, без съмнение, хубаво оформеното томче.
1. Меган Абът
МОМИЧЕШКО ШОУ
2. Джил Д. Блок
ИСТОРИЯТА НА КАРОЛАЙН
3. Робърт Олън Бътлър
SOIR BLEU
4. Лий Чайлд
ИСТИНАТА ЗА СЛУЧИЛОТО СЕ
5. Николас Кристофър
СТАИ КРАЙ МОРЕТО
6. Майкъл Конъли
НОЩНИ ПТИЦИ
7. Джефри Дивър
ИНЦИДЕНТЪТ ОТ 10 НОЕМВРИ
8. Крейг Фъргъсън
ГРИЖА ЗА БИЗНЕСА
9. Стивън Кинг
МУЗИКАЛНАТА СТАЯ
10. Джо Р. Лансдейл
ПРОЖЕКЦИОНИСТЪТ
11. Гейл Левин
ПРОПОВЕДНИКЪТ КОЛЕКЦИОНЕР
12. Уорън Мур
ОФИС ВЕЧЕР
13. Джойс Карол Оутс
ЖЕНАТА ДО ПРОЗОРЕЦА
14. Крис Нелскот
НАТЮРМОРТ 1931
15. Джъстин Скот
ЖЕНА, ОГРЯНА ОТ СЛЪНЦЕ
16. Джонатан Сантлофър
НОЩНИ ПРОЗОРЦИ
17.Лорънс Блок
ЕСЕН КРАЙ РЕСТОРАНТА
За оформлението вече споменах - хубаво е - към всеки разказ е приложена цветна репродукция на картината на Едуард Хопър, която го е вдъхновила. Якоу! Веднага издирих инфо в глобалното пространство, понеже работите му наистина ме заинтригуваха - със сигурност, както пише съставителят Лорънс Блок в предговора, всяка една негова картина може да ти разкаже история и това са се опитали авторите в тази тематична антология. Жанровете на творбите са разнообразни - има реалистика, крими, фентъзи, лек хорър (няма бруталии), че и полу-документалистика (разказът на Гейл Левин, изследовател на творчеството на Хопър, е базиран на действителни факти). Някои автори са се справили по-удачно - миниатюрата на Стиви Кинг (що ли се учудвам :) ), Джо Р. Лансдейл, Джонатан Сантлофър (неговият разказ май ми е фаворит), Джефри Дивър, Лорънс Блок. Други са написали добре структурирани разкази, но сякаш за отбиване на номера... липсваше ми нещо при инак мнооого любимите Лий Чайлд и Майкъл Конъли. Трети въобще не ми харесаха - "Жената до прозореца" може да беше най-скучната за мен творба, но за сметка на това се оказа и най-дългата, ха-ха-ха. "Грижа за бизнеса" не знам какво дири в сборника. А авторът на "Офис вечер" е решил да смени женската с мъжката роля от филма "Призрак" - супер наивно изпълнение... Като цяло общото ниво е средняшко - около 3,8, но не съжалявам, че се сдобих с книгата - добра сверка на часовника е - все пак аз съм участвал в доста тематични антологии през годините и се убеждавам, че родните компилации стоят съвсем адекватно на фона на западните.
1. Меган Абът
МОМИЧЕШКО ШОУ
2. Джил Д. Блок
ИСТОРИЯТА НА КАРОЛАЙН
3. Робърт Олън Бътлър
SOIR BLEU
4. Лий Чайлд
ИСТИНАТА ЗА СЛУЧИЛОТО СЕ
5. Николас Кристофър
СТАИ КРАЙ МОРЕТО
6. Майкъл Конъли
НОЩНИ ПТИЦИ
7. Джефри Дивър
ИНЦИДЕНТЪТ ОТ 10 НОЕМВРИ
8. Крейг Фъргъсън
ГРИЖА ЗА БИЗНЕСА
9. Стивън Кинг
МУЗИКАЛНАТА СТАЯ
10. Джо Р. Лансдейл
ПРОЖЕКЦИОНИСТЪТ
11. Гейл Левин
ПРОПОВЕДНИКЪТ КОЛЕКЦИОНЕР
12. Уорън Мур
ОФИС ВЕЧЕР
13. Джойс Карол Оутс
ЖЕНАТА ДО ПРОЗОРЕЦА
14. Крис Нелскот
НАТЮРМОРТ 1931
15. Джъстин Скот
ЖЕНА, ОГРЯНА ОТ СЛЪНЦЕ
16. Джонатан Сантлофър
НОЩНИ ПРОЗОРЦИ
17.Лорънс Блок
ЕСЕН КРАЙ РЕСТОРАНТА
За оформлението вече споменах - хубаво е - към всеки разказ е приложена цветна репродукция на картината на Едуард Хопър, която го е вдъхновила. Якоу! Веднага издирих инфо в глобалното пространство, понеже работите му наистина ме заинтригуваха - със сигурност, както пише съставителят Лорънс Блок в предговора, всяка една негова картина може да ти разкаже история и това са се опитали авторите в тази тематична антология. Жанровете на творбите са разнообразни - има реалистика, крими, фентъзи, лек хорър (няма бруталии), че и полу-документалистика (разказът на Гейл Левин, изследовател на творчеството на Хопър, е базиран на действителни факти). Някои автори са се справили по-удачно - миниатюрата на Стиви Кинг (що ли се учудвам :) ), Джо Р. Лансдейл, Джонатан Сантлофър (неговият разказ май ми е фаворит), Джефри Дивър, Лорънс Блок. Други са написали добре структурирани разкази, но сякаш за отбиване на номера... липсваше ми нещо при инак мнооого любимите Лий Чайлд и Майкъл Конъли. Трети въобще не ми харесаха - "Жената до прозореца" може да беше най-скучната за мен творба, но за сметка на това се оказа и най-дългата, ха-ха-ха. "Грижа за бизнеса" не знам какво дири в сборника. А авторът на "Офис вечер" е решил да смени женската с мъжката роля от филма "Призрак" - супер наивно изпълнение... Като цяло общото ниво е средняшко - около 3,8, но не съжалявам, че се сдобих с книгата - добра сверка на часовника е - все пак аз съм участвал в доста тематични антологии през годините и се убеждавам, че родните компилации стоят съвсем адекватно на фона на западните.
March 15, 2017
3.5 stars rounded up!
In Sunlight or in Shadow is an intriguing collection of short stories by several authors (well-known and unknown alike), all inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper.
I, admittedly, was not very aware of of Edward Hopper before reading this book. As it turns out, I was familiar with his painting Nighthawks, as I'm sure most folks are. If you're not sure about it, run over to Google and see. I'll wait.
. . . okay, you're back? Cool. While I love that painting, it's not my favorite in the book. I think that's more of a testament to Hopper's artistry than anything else.
This is an interesting project that largely works. My favorites stories are Jill. D. Block's "The Story of Caroline", Nicholas Christopher's "Rooms by the Sea", Craig Ferguson's "Taking Care of Business", Stephen King's "The Music Room", Joe R. Lansdale's "The Projectionist", Warren Moore's "Office at Night", and Jonathan Santlofer's "Night Windows". All those are solid 5-star stories; the ones I didn't mention are a smattering of mostly 3s and 4s with an occasional 2-star mess thrown in. But those messes are few and far between. The coolest thing, for me, is I had never read anything by any of the authors listed, except King. If nothing else, I am glad to have been introduced to so many talented writers.
All in all, I liked this collection much more than I expected to. The hardcover itself is absolutely beautiful; the stories contained within are a mix of winners, solid reading, and losers. Some of the stories are genius interpretations and others are contrived experiments that never quite get off the ground.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short story collections and/or trying new authors. Thanks to Lawrence Block for putting it together!
In Sunlight or in Shadow is an intriguing collection of short stories by several authors (well-known and unknown alike), all inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper.
I, admittedly, was not very aware of of Edward Hopper before reading this book. As it turns out, I was familiar with his painting Nighthawks, as I'm sure most folks are. If you're not sure about it, run over to Google and see. I'll wait.
. . . okay, you're back? Cool. While I love that painting, it's not my favorite in the book. I think that's more of a testament to Hopper's artistry than anything else.
This is an interesting project that largely works. My favorites stories are Jill. D. Block's "The Story of Caroline", Nicholas Christopher's "Rooms by the Sea", Craig Ferguson's "Taking Care of Business", Stephen King's "The Music Room", Joe R. Lansdale's "The Projectionist", Warren Moore's "Office at Night", and Jonathan Santlofer's "Night Windows". All those are solid 5-star stories; the ones I didn't mention are a smattering of mostly 3s and 4s with an occasional 2-star mess thrown in. But those messes are few and far between. The coolest thing, for me, is I had never read anything by any of the authors listed, except King. If nothing else, I am glad to have been introduced to so many talented writers.
All in all, I liked this collection much more than I expected to. The hardcover itself is absolutely beautiful; the stories contained within are a mix of winners, solid reading, and losers. Some of the stories are genius interpretations and others are contrived experiments that never quite get off the ground.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short story collections and/or trying new authors. Thanks to Lawrence Block for putting it together!
December 18, 2020
*exhales for 50 years* this taught me that anthologies are not for me. Every story felt aimless and ended abruptly. I was only intrigued in two stories. *goes to take a nap*
Tw: murder, sexual assault, lynching, use of racial slurs, kidnapping, stalking
Tw: murder, sexual assault, lynching, use of racial slurs, kidnapping, stalking
July 13, 2017
Много обичам концептуални творби, затова реших да не пропускам "Нощни птици". Разказите в сборника са вдъхновени от изключително характерните картини на американския художник Едуард Хопър. Допадна ми, че в самото издание има цветни репродукции на въпросните произведения, така че по-добре да усетиш атмосферата на отделните истории.
Заради изтъкнатите на корицата автори предположих, че всички включени сюжети ще са криминални, но, за щастие, срещнах много повече разнообразие – от семейни драми, през психотрилъри, та чак до магически реализъм. Единственото общо между разказите е ноар настроението, взаимствано от Хопър.
Харесах "Стаи край морето" от Николас Кристофър, "Музикалната стая" от Стивън Кинг, "Жена до прозореца" от Джойс Карол Оутс и "Нощни прозорци" от Джонатан Сантлофър (общо взето, де що има стаи и прозорци). Най-хубави и пълнокръвни ми се сториха "Натюрморт 1931" от Крис Нелскот и "Прожекционистът" от Джо Р. Лансдейл.
Останалите истории не ме впечатлиха особено, някои ми се сториха доста сухи. Първите няколко разказа силно ме разочароваха, но нататък качеството значително се подобри, поне според моя вкус. Това е рискът при антологиите, няма как всичко да ти хареса. Иначе идеята е страхотна.
Заради изтъкнатите на корицата автори предположих, че всички включени сюжети ще са криминални, но, за щастие, срещнах много повече разнообразие – от семейни драми, през психотрилъри, та чак до магически реализъм. Единственото общо между разказите е ноар настроението, взаимствано от Хопър.
Харесах "Стаи край морето" от Николас Кристофър, "Музикалната стая" от Стивън Кинг, "Жена до прозореца" от Джойс Карол Оутс и "Нощни прозорци" от Джонатан Сантлофър (общо взето, де що има стаи и прозорци). Най-хубави и пълнокръвни ми се сториха "Натюрморт 1931" от Крис Нелскот и "Прожекционистът" от Джо Р. Лансдейл.
Останалите истории не ме впечатлиха особено, някои ми се сториха доста сухи. Първите няколко разказа силно ме разочароваха, но нататък качеството значително се подобри, поне според моя вкус. Това е рискът при антологиите, няма как всичко да ти хареса. Иначе идеята е страхотна.
March 9, 2019
I liked this more than it probably deserved. My review is here: http://patricksherriff.com/2019/03/09...
September 10, 2019
A collection of 17 short stories based on the paintings of one of my favorite artists, Edward Hopper. These works are very hit and miss for me - some are excellent but quite a few weren't to my taste. I rounded up because I love the idea of this book as a whole.
Since I haven't seen any reviews listing all of the stories in this book, I here is a list to go with the collage of corresponding paintings above:
1) Girlie Show (Girlie Show, 1941) - An unhappy wife discovers who the subject of her husband's nude painting is - 5*
2) The Story of Caroline (Summer Evening, 1947) - A woman searches for her birth mother - 3*
3) Soir Bleu (Soir Bleu, 1914) - A man meets an actor he once saw perform as a child - 4*
4) The Truth About What Happened (Hotel Lobby, 1943) - An injured military man is debriefed about his experience - 2*
5) Rooms by the Sea (Rooms by the Sea, 1951) - A woman moves into a house where the rooms are always changing - 3*
6) Nighthawks (Nighthawks, 1942) - A private eye investigates a young painter - 2*
7) The Incident of 10 November (Hotel by a Railroad, 1952) - Russian spy stuff which left me confused - 2*
8) Taking Care of Business (South Truro Church, 1930) - Two old men smoke pot and talk about life and death - 4*
9) The Music Room (Room in New York, 1932) - A man and woman kidnap men for money - 5*
10) The Projectionist (New York Movie, 1939) - A projectionist, a theater owner and a ticket taker form a strong bond - 5*
11) The Preacher Collects (Based on Hopper's Letters) - A fictional story based on Hopper's life and family - 2*
12) Office at Night (Office at Night, 1940) - A small town girl moves to the big city - 3*
13) Woman in the Window (Eleven A.M., 1926) - A woman dreams of killing her lover - 4*
14) Still Life, 1931 (Hotel Room, 1931) - A white woman helps the NAACP in the American South - 3*
15) Night Windows (Night Windows, 1928) - A voyeur obsesses over the woman he watches through her windows - 5*
16) Woman in the Sun (Woman in the Sun, 1961) - A man asks a woman if he can spend his last day alive with her - 4*
17) Autumn in the Automat (Automat, 1927) - A con woman tries to make a buck - 3*
July 9, 2017
My review from USA Today
*
This absolutely superb anthology starts out with two advantages: a true legend at the helm, in crime writer Lawrence Block, and a fascinating concept. If you know only one picture by Edward Hopper, it’s likely Nighthawks, his 1942 depiction of the lonely inhabitants of a café late at night. But most of his paintings share its tone of melancholy and mystery, and so do the stories that they’ve inspired in this collection, many of which are set during the Depression. Block’s clout has enticed some huge stars to contribute – Stephen King, Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates – and each offers a splendid entry based on one of Hopper’s works. But every story included is superlative, from a poignant and beautiful ghost tale by Warren Moore to Block’s own slyly exquisite miniature, about a solitary woman at an automat, nursing her coffee. Hopper, America’s great mournful lyric realist, deserves a tribute of this grace and sensitivity.
*
This absolutely superb anthology starts out with two advantages: a true legend at the helm, in crime writer Lawrence Block, and a fascinating concept. If you know only one picture by Edward Hopper, it’s likely Nighthawks, his 1942 depiction of the lonely inhabitants of a café late at night. But most of his paintings share its tone of melancholy and mystery, and so do the stories that they’ve inspired in this collection, many of which are set during the Depression. Block’s clout has enticed some huge stars to contribute – Stephen King, Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates – and each offers a splendid entry based on one of Hopper’s works. But every story included is superlative, from a poignant and beautiful ghost tale by Warren Moore to Block’s own slyly exquisite miniature, about a solitary woman at an automat, nursing her coffee. Hopper, America’s great mournful lyric realist, deserves a tribute of this grace and sensitivity.
December 20, 2018
До половината я прочетох нормално, после я довърших по диагонала. Скука, нищо не се случва. Даже чичко Стив Кинг се дъни с едно недовършено. Три звезди само от уважение.
August 13, 2018
Учудващо приятно сборниче. Конъли, Дивър, Стивън Кинг, неудивително, са се справили много добре. Приятните изненади за мен лично бяха Лорънс Блок (яко звучене ала О. Хенри), Дж. Сантлоуфър, Джойс Оутс (много здрава психарийка) и Джъстин Скот. Другите явно са поскатали служба. Иначе като цяло усещането от антологията е по-скоро положително.
September 25, 2020
Many of these stories didn't have an ending so much as they just ended. I would routinely get to the end of a story just to say "wait, that's it?". That, plus some of the story introductions that said things like "the author put writing this story aside until they had time for it" make me feel like this was a hastily thrown together collection.
There were a few gems here, though, with the best story being the one by Joe R Lansdale.
There were a few gems here, though, with the best story being the one by Joe R Lansdale.
May 18, 2017
If you love crime stories, this anthology is quite good. The idea of these famous authors writing stories inspired from Edward Hopper paintings is fabulous and most of the stories are quite satisfying. Best one is Megan Abbott's Girlie Show for storytelling and characterization--loved it! Robert Olen Butler's Soir Bleu is remarkable and spooky and will linger in your mind for days. I couldn't stop reading Rooms by the Sea by Nicholas Christopher. Anthologies are such a treat because you can experience different authors, their styles, and taste a wide range of stories. Lawrence Block did a great job with balancing the talents of authors like Stephen King, Jeffery Deaver, Lee Child, and Joyce Carol Oates. A few of the stories didn't quite make it for suspense and thrills though. I would say there are at least 3 stories I would reread. I read this book from my local library.
July 27, 2016
4.5-5 stars
The instant I saw the cover of this book I knew I wanted to read it. In Sunlight or In Shadow is such a clever idea – each writer chosen to participate picked a different painting by Edward Hopper and then created his or her own story about the subject matter of the painting he/she chose. The results are for the most part spectacular. As in any short story collection, some stories are better than others; one or two fell flat enough that I had to just move on without finishing that particular entry.
I have been a huge fan of Hopper for a long time and also really like Lawrence Block’s work so I was just thrilled to see a book that combined the two. There are 18 paintings and 17 stories (one author had to drop out but the painting was included anyway as the frontispiece), and I was excited to see paintings that I knew well and even happier to see paintings of Hopper’s that I had not encountered before. One of the things that makes the compilation so successful is the variation in writing style and genre of the collection of writers that Block chose. I have read everything Michael Connelly and Lee Child have written (and am a huge fan of both of them) so I was glad they were included in this project, and their stories did not disappoint. However, hands down my favorite story was the one by Craig Ferguson entitled Taking Care of Business based on the painting entitled South Truro Church, 1930. I can’t say much more about that particular story without giving anything away, but the inclusion of Elvis in it was clever and made me love that narrative all the more. Lawrence Block’s entry, Autumn at the Automat, was fabulous as well. Several others, Night Windows and The Incident of 10 November, were stand outs also.
Each short story begins with a color reproduction of the painting that is the subject of that short story. I loved this because I continually was referring back to the painting while reading each story. At times, there were details I had not noticed in the painting that were part of the story, and it was helpful to be able to have the painting so close at hand.
Every once in a while, I encounter a book that is unique in its approach or presentation of the storyline or content and am thrilled generally when that occurs because that makes it all the more enjoyable to read. In Sunlight or In Shadow is such a book. I have been touting this book to all of my friends who love to read and am certain it will be a big success. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Pegasus Books for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The instant I saw the cover of this book I knew I wanted to read it. In Sunlight or In Shadow is such a clever idea – each writer chosen to participate picked a different painting by Edward Hopper and then created his or her own story about the subject matter of the painting he/she chose. The results are for the most part spectacular. As in any short story collection, some stories are better than others; one or two fell flat enough that I had to just move on without finishing that particular entry.
I have been a huge fan of Hopper for a long time and also really like Lawrence Block’s work so I was just thrilled to see a book that combined the two. There are 18 paintings and 17 stories (one author had to drop out but the painting was included anyway as the frontispiece), and I was excited to see paintings that I knew well and even happier to see paintings of Hopper’s that I had not encountered before. One of the things that makes the compilation so successful is the variation in writing style and genre of the collection of writers that Block chose. I have read everything Michael Connelly and Lee Child have written (and am a huge fan of both of them) so I was glad they were included in this project, and their stories did not disappoint. However, hands down my favorite story was the one by Craig Ferguson entitled Taking Care of Business based on the painting entitled South Truro Church, 1930. I can’t say much more about that particular story without giving anything away, but the inclusion of Elvis in it was clever and made me love that narrative all the more. Lawrence Block’s entry, Autumn at the Automat, was fabulous as well. Several others, Night Windows and The Incident of 10 November, were stand outs also.
Each short story begins with a color reproduction of the painting that is the subject of that short story. I loved this because I continually was referring back to the painting while reading each story. At times, there were details I had not noticed in the painting that were part of the story, and it was helpful to be able to have the painting so close at hand.
Every once in a while, I encounter a book that is unique in its approach or presentation of the storyline or content and am thrilled generally when that occurs because that makes it all the more enjoyable to read. In Sunlight or In Shadow is such a book. I have been touting this book to all of my friends who love to read and am certain it will be a big success. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Pegasus Books for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2017
I won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. The book is due to be published in early December (it's currently October as I write this.) I confess to a small thrill at the fact--all stories were commissioned for this anthology--that I got a two month lead on the general public reading a brand new Stephen King story.
As the title says, all the stories in this book were inspired by Edward Hopper's paintings. Each story is accompanied by the painting which inspired it, which is nice. In the ARC, they're all in black and white, but I'm presuming they'll be in color in the hardcover at least. Anthologies are invariably a mixed bag, but I was impressed by the overall quality of these stories.
It's an impressive lineup: Stephen King, Joe R. Lansdale, Joyce Carol Oates, Michael Connelly, Craig Ferguson, Lawrence Block, Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver ... And those were just the names I recognized going in. Turns out that Kris Nelscott is a pen name of Kristine Kathryn Rusch, of whom I've heard as well. Most of these stories are mysteries, though there's also one or two that would qualify as magic realism. Gail Levin's story is particularly interesting. As a professor of Art History and the acknowledged authority on Hopper, among other accomplishments, she's written a fictionalized account, "The Preacher Collects," of a man who allegedly--nothing seems to have been proven in court, and the person in question seems not to have admitted any wrongdoing--stole a number of Hopper's early works. It's a case of fiction being more true than real life.
I'd consider listing which stories I enjoyed the most, but, honestly, there weren't any that I didn't at least like. Everyone involved seems to have brought their "A" game to the task. This is a fine collection of stories from a talented group of people. The theme of the anthology is offbeat enough to be interesting, and broad enough to allow for plenty of variety. This is a prime example of how to do a good anthology. Recommended!
As the title says, all the stories in this book were inspired by Edward Hopper's paintings. Each story is accompanied by the painting which inspired it, which is nice. In the ARC, they're all in black and white, but I'm presuming they'll be in color in the hardcover at least. Anthologies are invariably a mixed bag, but I was impressed by the overall quality of these stories.
It's an impressive lineup: Stephen King, Joe R. Lansdale, Joyce Carol Oates, Michael Connelly, Craig Ferguson, Lawrence Block, Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver ... And those were just the names I recognized going in. Turns out that Kris Nelscott is a pen name of Kristine Kathryn Rusch, of whom I've heard as well. Most of these stories are mysteries, though there's also one or two that would qualify as magic realism. Gail Levin's story is particularly interesting. As a professor of Art History and the acknowledged authority on Hopper, among other accomplishments, she's written a fictionalized account, "The Preacher Collects," of a man who allegedly--nothing seems to have been proven in court, and the person in question seems not to have admitted any wrongdoing--stole a number of Hopper's early works. It's a case of fiction being more true than real life.
I'd consider listing which stories I enjoyed the most, but, honestly, there weren't any that I didn't at least like. Everyone involved seems to have brought their "A" game to the task. This is a fine collection of stories from a talented group of people. The theme of the anthology is offbeat enough to be interesting, and broad enough to allow for plenty of variety. This is a prime example of how to do a good anthology. Recommended!
March 21, 2018
Разкази, вдъхновени от картини
(Цялото ревю е тук: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
Много ми харесва идеята за написване на разкази, вдъхновени от картини на художник. До сега не ми беше хрумвало да се поинтересувам точно от Едуард Хопър и неговото творчество, което показва колко съм далеч от картините му. Три-четири ми допадат като усещане, но това е всичко, което харесвам от видяното в сайта на музея. Все пак не е трудно човек да вникне в подробностите и да намери истории зад картините. Парадоксално, но колкото по-обикновена е изобразената сцена, толкова повече смисъл може да се вложи в нея. Образите пробуждат много асоциации и един добър писател или режисьор съвсем спокойно може да развихри въображението си. Точно с този американски художник се е случило. Но какъвто и смисъл на крият картините на Хопър, в един сборник е важна литературната стойност. В „Нощни птици“ („Бард“, 2017, с превод на Владимир Германов) сякаш нищо не е подредено и всеки разказ оставя различна следа в съзнанието.
(Продължава в блога: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
(Цялото ревю е тук: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
Много ми харесва идеята за написване на разкази, вдъхновени от картини на художник. До сега не ми беше хрумвало да се поинтересувам точно от Едуард Хопър и неговото творчество, което показва колко съм далеч от картините му. Три-четири ми допадат като усещане, но това е всичко, което харесвам от видяното в сайта на музея. Все пак не е трудно човек да вникне в подробностите и да намери истории зад картините. Парадоксално, но колкото по-обикновена е изобразената сцена, толкова повече смисъл може да се вложи в нея. Образите пробуждат много асоциации и един добър писател или режисьор съвсем спокойно може да развихри въображението си. Точно с този американски художник се е случило. Но какъвто и смисъл на крият картините на Хопър, в един сборник е важна литературната стойност. В „Нощни птици“ („Бард“, 2017, с превод на Владимир Германов) сякаш нищо не е подредено и всеки разказ оставя различна следа в съзнанието.
(Продължава в блога: https://knijenpetar.wordpress.com/201...)
September 25, 2017
Две звезди за съдържанието плюс една за оформлението.
Този художник говори, да. И авторите са го чули... Само че не е казал нищо необикновено. Всички участници в антологията са вписали своята картина в разказа си по особено интересен за мен начин, но самите разкази не са нищо особено. И аз очаквах криминале, трилър и така нататък, но вместо това виждам по-голямата част от историите... малко битови, дори когато са в жанр като от посочените. Твърде обикновени. Разбира се, имам си фаворити дори и сред тях, но не бих казала, че разнообразието е голямо. Повечето автори споделяха почти еднакви идеи, въртящи се често около Голямата депресия... Честно казано, да напишеш разказ по толкова обикновена на първи поглед картина, пак си е изкуство, вече и това започнах да си мисля...
Този художник говори, да. И авторите са го чули... Само че не е казал нищо необикновено. Всички участници в антологията са вписали своята картина в разказа си по особено интересен за мен начин, но самите разкази не са нищо особено. И аз очаквах криминале, трилър и така нататък, но вместо това виждам по-голямата част от историите... малко битови, дори когато са в жанр като от посочените. Твърде обикновени. Разбира се, имам си фаворити дори и сред тях, но не бих казала, че разнообразието е голямо. Повечето автори споделяха почти еднакви идеи, въртящи се често около Голямата депресия... Честно казано, да напишеш разказ по толкова обикновена на първи поглед картина, пак си е изкуство, вече и това започнах да си мисля...
November 29, 2020
Този сборник отдавна ме интригуваше с интересния си замисъл. Събраните в него разкази са разнообразни и измислени по картини на художника Едуард Хопър. Само че не съм много очарована от концепцията. Повечето разкази ме отблъснаха и напрегнаха, с изключение на два-три, които имаха интересен замисъл. Много от авторите се оказаха неизвестни за мен. Картините на самия художник също не ме впечатлиха, но явно се продават добре и се харесват от ценителите. Всъщност разказите донякъде ми приличаха на тях. Може спокойно да прескочите сборника.
March 31, 2019
Wonderful collection of short tales based on the paintings of Edward Hopper. Lawrence Block has excellently executed the momentous task of collecting and stitching together stories from a variety of authors. They put voice to sixteen of Hopper's works spanning the length of his career.
The great thing about the choice of Edward Hopper as inspiration for these works is that his paintings seem to lend themselves to this kind of interpretive exercise. There are settings, there are figures, and there is silence. Even when the figures in these paintings are performing, such as the nearly nude dancer in the work titled Girlie Show, the scene feels like it is action that has been frozen inside a soundless vacuum, just waiting for a writer or a storyteller to finally give it voice.
I won't review every tale in the tome. They are all wonderful efforts. However, I will say that I docked this volume one star for two reasons.
The first reason is that Stephen King's story, although a beautiful Stephen King-like take on the subject matter, felt rushed and a bit phoned in when compared to the rest of the volume. Block's introduction to King's story only lends credibility to that theory when he points out that King didn't think he'd be able to find time to commit anything to this project. Although it feels much shorter than the other works (and somewhat inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart as much as the chosen Hopper painting), it does pack a punch.
The second reason for the one-star docking is Gail Levin's contribution, which is apparently her first work of fiction. Levin is an Edward Hopper expert. She is an art professor and Hopper's biographer. There is no doubt that her voice belongs in the volume. However, her tale, which is apparently based on a true story of art theft, includes herself as a character. In the end, it comes off as too insidey and self-aggrandizing (full disclosure: I have a similar issue with King's use of himself as a character in the later volumes of his Dark Tower series, although I am most definitely a King fan).
If King's story had been either fleshed out or excluded and Levin had instead written the foreword, an introduction, or an afterword to this volume (or even a simple paragraph about the real-life history and circumstances surrounding each of the paintings chosen by the writers), it would absolutely get five stars from me.
The great thing about the choice of Edward Hopper as inspiration for these works is that his paintings seem to lend themselves to this kind of interpretive exercise. There are settings, there are figures, and there is silence. Even when the figures in these paintings are performing, such as the nearly nude dancer in the work titled Girlie Show, the scene feels like it is action that has been frozen inside a soundless vacuum, just waiting for a writer or a storyteller to finally give it voice.
I won't review every tale in the tome. They are all wonderful efforts. However, I will say that I docked this volume one star for two reasons.
The first reason is that Stephen King's story, although a beautiful Stephen King-like take on the subject matter, felt rushed and a bit phoned in when compared to the rest of the volume. Block's introduction to King's story only lends credibility to that theory when he points out that King didn't think he'd be able to find time to commit anything to this project. Although it feels much shorter than the other works (and somewhat inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart as much as the chosen Hopper painting), it does pack a punch.
The second reason for the one-star docking is Gail Levin's contribution, which is apparently her first work of fiction. Levin is an Edward Hopper expert. She is an art professor and Hopper's biographer. There is no doubt that her voice belongs in the volume. However, her tale, which is apparently based on a true story of art theft, includes herself as a character. In the end, it comes off as too insidey and self-aggrandizing (full disclosure: I have a similar issue with King's use of himself as a character in the later volumes of his Dark Tower series, although I am most definitely a King fan).
If King's story had been either fleshed out or excluded and Levin had instead written the foreword, an introduction, or an afterword to this volume (or even a simple paragraph about the real-life history and circumstances surrounding each of the paintings chosen by the writers), it would absolutely get five stars from me.
September 20, 2020
Kunst liegt immer im Auge des Betrachters …
… und diese Anthologie setzt genau da an. 17 Schriftsteller/innen haben sich von den Gemälden Edward Hoppers inspirieren lassen, aus den eingefrorenen Momenten des jeweiligen Bildes ihre Geschichten gesponnen und so der Kunst eine weitere Ausdrucksform geschenkt. »Nighthawks« ist ein Schmankerl für Kunst- und Literaturliebhaber gleichermaßen und hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Vor allem Krimifans kommen hier auf ihre Kosten, es gibt aber auch kurze Ausflüge in die Phantastik. Autorengrößen wie Stephen King, Joe R. Lansdale, Jeffery Deaver, Lee Child und Joyce Carol Oates geben sich die Ehre aber auch einige mir bis dato unbekannte Schriftsteller konnten mich überzeugen. Nicht jede Geschichte hatte Highlightqualität, aber das erwarte ich auch nicht von einer Sammlung – schon gar nicht, wenn es einen so großen Interpretationsspielraum gibt.
Zu meinen persönlichen Favoriten gehören unter anderem »Die Geschichte von Caroline« (Jill D. Block) – eine wunderbar berührende Erzählung über das Leben selbst. Wir alle machen Fehler, treffen (Fehl-)Entscheidungen und doch bietet das Leben uns auch immer wieder neue Chancen, die wir ergreifen können. Auch Stephen Kings »Das Musikzimmer« hat mir gefallen. Eine bitterböse Geschichte, in der die Wirtschaftskrise ein Ehepaar zu ungewöhnlichen Mitteln greifen lässt, um Geld zu verdienen. Lansdales »Der Filmvorführer« setzt sich mit dem Thema der Schutzgelderpressung auseinander. Ein schüchterner junger Mann, der als Filmvorführer in einem Kino arbeitet, möchte seinen Job behalten und beschließt deshalb, sich gegen die Erpresser zu wehren. Stille Wasser sind hier tief. »Abends im Büro« von Warren Moore hat mich absolut überrascht. Ein tollpatschiges Mädchen vom Land träumt von einer Karriere in New York. Sie setzt alles auf eine Karte und wagt den Sprung, ihr Mut wird belohnt, doch dann geschieht etwas Unerwartetes. Was für ein Twist. Großartig. »Abends am Fenster« von Jonathan Santlofer ist eine spannende Geschichte, deren Thema Rache ist. Herrlich perfide.
Eine Sache, die jedoch nichts mit den Geschichten selbst zu tun hat, hat mich ein wenig gestört: Jeder Story ist das entsprechende Gemälde Hoppers vorangestellt und hierfür hätte ich mir einfach ein hochwertigeres Papier (Grammatur und Beschaffenheit) gewünscht. Auch ein Lesebändchen hätte mir gefallen – bei dem Preis sicher im Bereich des Machbaren.
Fazit
Mit »Nighthawks« hat Lawrence Block eine inhaltlich vielfältige Anthologie herausgegeben, die nicht nur für Kunstliebhaber – aber sicher besonders für diese – etliche unterhaltsame Lesestunden bereithält. Von mir gibt es definitiv eine Empfehlung.
… und diese Anthologie setzt genau da an. 17 Schriftsteller/innen haben sich von den Gemälden Edward Hoppers inspirieren lassen, aus den eingefrorenen Momenten des jeweiligen Bildes ihre Geschichten gesponnen und so der Kunst eine weitere Ausdrucksform geschenkt. »Nighthawks« ist ein Schmankerl für Kunst- und Literaturliebhaber gleichermaßen und hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Vor allem Krimifans kommen hier auf ihre Kosten, es gibt aber auch kurze Ausflüge in die Phantastik. Autorengrößen wie Stephen King, Joe R. Lansdale, Jeffery Deaver, Lee Child und Joyce Carol Oates geben sich die Ehre aber auch einige mir bis dato unbekannte Schriftsteller konnten mich überzeugen. Nicht jede Geschichte hatte Highlightqualität, aber das erwarte ich auch nicht von einer Sammlung – schon gar nicht, wenn es einen so großen Interpretationsspielraum gibt.
Zu meinen persönlichen Favoriten gehören unter anderem »Die Geschichte von Caroline« (Jill D. Block) – eine wunderbar berührende Erzählung über das Leben selbst. Wir alle machen Fehler, treffen (Fehl-)Entscheidungen und doch bietet das Leben uns auch immer wieder neue Chancen, die wir ergreifen können. Auch Stephen Kings »Das Musikzimmer« hat mir gefallen. Eine bitterböse Geschichte, in der die Wirtschaftskrise ein Ehepaar zu ungewöhnlichen Mitteln greifen lässt, um Geld zu verdienen. Lansdales »Der Filmvorführer« setzt sich mit dem Thema der Schutzgelderpressung auseinander. Ein schüchterner junger Mann, der als Filmvorführer in einem Kino arbeitet, möchte seinen Job behalten und beschließt deshalb, sich gegen die Erpresser zu wehren. Stille Wasser sind hier tief. »Abends im Büro« von Warren Moore hat mich absolut überrascht. Ein tollpatschiges Mädchen vom Land träumt von einer Karriere in New York. Sie setzt alles auf eine Karte und wagt den Sprung, ihr Mut wird belohnt, doch dann geschieht etwas Unerwartetes. Was für ein Twist. Großartig. »Abends am Fenster« von Jonathan Santlofer ist eine spannende Geschichte, deren Thema Rache ist. Herrlich perfide.
Eine Sache, die jedoch nichts mit den Geschichten selbst zu tun hat, hat mich ein wenig gestört: Jeder Story ist das entsprechende Gemälde Hoppers vorangestellt und hierfür hätte ich mir einfach ein hochwertigeres Papier (Grammatur und Beschaffenheit) gewünscht. Auch ein Lesebändchen hätte mir gefallen – bei dem Preis sicher im Bereich des Machbaren.
Fazit
Mit »Nighthawks« hat Lawrence Block eine inhaltlich vielfältige Anthologie herausgegeben, die nicht nur für Kunstliebhaber – aber sicher besonders für diese – etliche unterhaltsame Lesestunden bereithält. Von mir gibt es definitiv eine Empfehlung.
March 23, 2025
ultimately this anthology's genre of stories (men being men (prone to violence) women being women (objectified & sexualized) got quite tiring. generously I'll grant that as a by-product of Hopper's style of imagery, or just this collection showing its age (2016!)
some nice divergences: the Basque mythology and changing architecture of the "Room by the Sea," the atheist preacher of "Taking Care of Business." The go-getter swindler of Block's own "Autumn at the Automat" was a great button when I'd lost faith in most of the collection.
some nice divergences: the Basque mythology and changing architecture of the "Room by the Sea," the atheist preacher of "Taking Care of Business." The go-getter swindler of Block's own "Autumn at the Automat" was a great button when I'd lost faith in most of the collection.
February 6, 2017
What an excellent collection of stories and what an excellent idea too.
This collection contains 18 reproductions of paintings by the great American painter Edward Hopper, and to compliment them there are 17 short stories by some of America's great authors. Included are the likes of Stephen King, Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates, Jeffery Deaver and Lawrence Block. Each takes a painting as their starting point and then develops their own spell of magic to contour it into a story.
I have long been an admirer of Hopper, so it was a delight to find this book in the first place. In my mind I associate him most with lone figures in lonely settings. Women in hotel rooms with a sense of waiting for something. So many of his paintings have a strong sense of narrative, there is a story in there waiting to be told. They lend themselves perfectly to this type of project and the assembled writers have done them proud.
It would be wrong to say too much about each of the stories, because each once comes as a surprise, probably never quite what you say when you looked at the painting. So take a moment and look at each picture first. Think what story you see when you look at it, and then let someone surprise you with the direction.
I will make one exception, however, because there is one story that for me stands head and shoulders above the rest in this collection. I was not familiar with the painting "Room by the Sea", although when I looked in my book of Hopper paintings I see that it is there. It's complete lack of any focal point probably helped me to skip past it. There is a bare wall, the tiniest hint of a lounge room beyond in one corner and then an open door that has the sea beyond. Not the sea in the distance, but right there. The door seems to open straight out into the middle of the ocean. This scene of almost no detail is then taken by Nicholas Christopher and turned into the most amazing flight of imagination. I was reminded of the Nobel laureate Jose Saramago, who wrote The Tale of the Unknown Island, a short and wonderful fantasy with a fairy tale quality. Christopher does the same, transporting us to foreign lands and impossible concepts without the slightest hint that anything is other than real. I love his story, it is magical, mythical and utterly beautiful. So good he forced me straight out to find some more of his stories.
In Sunlight and in Shadow is a brilliant idea which is brilliantly executed. Enjoy the pictures and then enjoy them again as stories
This collection contains 18 reproductions of paintings by the great American painter Edward Hopper, and to compliment them there are 17 short stories by some of America's great authors. Included are the likes of Stephen King, Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates, Jeffery Deaver and Lawrence Block. Each takes a painting as their starting point and then develops their own spell of magic to contour it into a story.
I have long been an admirer of Hopper, so it was a delight to find this book in the first place. In my mind I associate him most with lone figures in lonely settings. Women in hotel rooms with a sense of waiting for something. So many of his paintings have a strong sense of narrative, there is a story in there waiting to be told. They lend themselves perfectly to this type of project and the assembled writers have done them proud.
It would be wrong to say too much about each of the stories, because each once comes as a surprise, probably never quite what you say when you looked at the painting. So take a moment and look at each picture first. Think what story you see when you look at it, and then let someone surprise you with the direction.
I will make one exception, however, because there is one story that for me stands head and shoulders above the rest in this collection. I was not familiar with the painting "Room by the Sea", although when I looked in my book of Hopper paintings I see that it is there. It's complete lack of any focal point probably helped me to skip past it. There is a bare wall, the tiniest hint of a lounge room beyond in one corner and then an open door that has the sea beyond. Not the sea in the distance, but right there. The door seems to open straight out into the middle of the ocean. This scene of almost no detail is then taken by Nicholas Christopher and turned into the most amazing flight of imagination. I was reminded of the Nobel laureate Jose Saramago, who wrote The Tale of the Unknown Island, a short and wonderful fantasy with a fairy tale quality. Christopher does the same, transporting us to foreign lands and impossible concepts without the slightest hint that anything is other than real. I love his story, it is magical, mythical and utterly beautiful. So good he forced me straight out to find some more of his stories.
In Sunlight and in Shadow is a brilliant idea which is brilliantly executed. Enjoy the pictures and then enjoy them again as stories
November 28, 2016
I've never been a big fan of short stories, but recently there seem to be more and more collections and anthologies that catch my interest, as did this book. First, because of the paintings, as I only knew the Nighthawks and a couple other pictures by Hopper and was delighted to get a peek at some of his other work. Second, because of the authors, which include some I know and like very well (Stephen King being my all time favorite), others I'm glad to get to know better (Joyce Carol Oates, Joe R. Lansdale, Lee Child), still others I've heard of but never read before (Michael Connelly, Jeffery Deaver) and a good number to meet for the first time.
As with all anthologies, there are good stories and there are not so good stories. This collection is one of the better ones, with mostly entertaining stories and only one I didn't like at all. And, of course, there are some precious stories I read and totally loved. As I am not too familiar with the majority of the authors, I can't exactly recall which was which as I didn't made notes along the way. But as each reader has a different taste, I think it's kind of pointless to point out this story or that.
What I liked very much about this book was that the stories did not have a common subject regarding their content, and span several different genres, the most special I remember being a fantasy piece about some kind of Atlantis descendants. But there also where a bunch of crime and thriller stories with some mild horror thrown in and a couple of general literary stories. The diversity of the stories made it easy to read them in one go without making my head swim or getting saturated too fast.
And, of course, the paintings themselves: while I wouldn't want to hang most of them on my own walls, they all were impressive and I kept scrolling back to them. One I liked most was an impressive rooftop view in shades of brown and orange. So even if there was a story I didn't like that much there still was the picture to make up for it.
(Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of the book, all opinions are my own and completely unbiased)
As with all anthologies, there are good stories and there are not so good stories. This collection is one of the better ones, with mostly entertaining stories and only one I didn't like at all. And, of course, there are some precious stories I read and totally loved. As I am not too familiar with the majority of the authors, I can't exactly recall which was which as I didn't made notes along the way. But as each reader has a different taste, I think it's kind of pointless to point out this story or that.
What I liked very much about this book was that the stories did not have a common subject regarding their content, and span several different genres, the most special I remember being a fantasy piece about some kind of Atlantis descendants. But there also where a bunch of crime and thriller stories with some mild horror thrown in and a couple of general literary stories. The diversity of the stories made it easy to read them in one go without making my head swim or getting saturated too fast.
And, of course, the paintings themselves: while I wouldn't want to hang most of them on my own walls, they all were impressive and I kept scrolling back to them. One I liked most was an impressive rooftop view in shades of brown and orange. So even if there was a story I didn't like that much there still was the picture to make up for it.
(Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of the book, all opinions are my own and completely unbiased)
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